I HAVEN'T associated 'fun' in the word driving since I got my license in 2019. In fact, this happens to be my first test drive article ever since I joined the motoring beat. So, when I got the keys to the Mini Cooper S Countryman for a test drive review, I started to remember what my late friend and colleague on the beat Earl Manalansan told me a year back before: 'You can't have fun without a smile on your face.'

And Mini has been a brand that has long been associated with fun driving. This particular one, the Cooper S Countryman, despite its size and practicality, is not an exception. You can tell it apart from the rest of the lineup with the red S badges on the front grille and on the rear and side sills.